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People /Soumik Datta

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Soumik Datta is a British Indian composer and virtuoso Sarod player – 19 stringed fretless instrument. Dubbed ‘British Sarod Maestro’ (Time Out), Soumik has composed and released six albums through his own label. He first made his mark with his debut record ‘Fretless’ which showcased him as ‘a magnificent Indian classical Sarod player with a rare melodic awareness’, The Times of India. While Soumik continued to present classical concerts, he began expanding and collaborating on new forms. His latest creation is ‘cinematic and explores a fertile area somewhere between Radiohead, Pink Floyd and Indian classical music’, Songlines.

Soumik was trained by the Sarod legend, Pandit Buddhadev Das Gupta while completing his Masters in Composition at Trinity College of Music. His charity Soumik Datta Arts is chaired by Sir David Green, KCMG, and is a platform to showcase new talent and innovative collaborations. 2014 saw Soumik both as a soloist as he braved the world’s first contemporary Sarod concerto (commissioned by the BCMG) and equally as a composer as he rescored Oscar award-winning director Satyajit Ray’s 1960′s epic Goopy Gayne Bagha Gyne for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

Supported by the British Council, Soumik (pronounced Sho-mik) has toured internationally, presented his music at TED Global, performed with Beyonce, Jay-Z, Bill Bailey, Nitin Sawhney, Anoushka Shankar, Talvin Singh, Joss Stone and Shankar Mahadevan bringing the ancient Sarod into a global arena. Connecting his roots in Indian music with a bold, progressive attitude, he is considered ‘one of biggest new music talents in Britain’, Vogue. Download Soumik Datta’s latest album Anti Hero, which he is giving away for free, here on the home page: soumikdatta.com.